Treasure's Pain

CHAPTER TWO-1

CHAPTER TWOTreasure sat in the backseat of the chauffeur driven vehicle, wiping her crying eyes with a balled-up Kleenex. Once she was done, she lowered her black sunglasses back on her face. At that moment, Grief opened the backdoor and whipped his ratchet out so that it wouldn’t be stabbing him in his hip once he sat down. Sliding inside on the butter soft leather seats, he shut the door behind him and stashed his banger inside of a secret stash space. He threw his hand over the top of the seat and looked to his daughter. From the look on her face, he could tell that she had still been crying which meant that she was still grieving over the loss of her mother.

“You gonna be all right, baby girl?” he asked, rubbing the back of her neck.

“I’ll be okay, dad.”

She sniffled and wiped her red nose.

“You know I love you more than anything in this world, right?”

“Uh, huh,” she nodded, fidgeting with the ball of Kleenex. Grief leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

“Now, let cho old man see that smile I love so much.”

Treasure gave her father a halfhearted smile. It wasn’t what he was used to getting, but he’d accept it. Grief smiled at his daughter and patted her on the knee.

“That’s my sweet pea.”

The OG pulled a cigar from inside of his suit and fired it up, blowing smoke into the air. He fanned the cloud of smoke with his jeweled hand and cracked the window just enough to let the smoke out.

“What are your plans for the rest of the day?”

“I gotta hit the studio to begin recording for this album,” she told him.

“How about chu?” she asked and looked to him, waiting for his answer.

“Ummm… uh.”

He took the cigar from out of his mouth and brushed the imaginary lint from off of his suit as he cleared his throat, holding his fist to it.

“Awww, dad.”

Treasure threw her head back, sounding disappointed. She brought her head back down and grasped her father’s hand. This was the same hand that his gold wedding ring was on. It gleamed underneath the rays of the sun. When he looked to it, the memory of him and his late wife standing before one another saying their wedding vows flashed across his mind.

“What?”

He looked to her, acting like he didn’t have a clue about what she was talking about.

“You’re going to stay up all day and night trying to solve mom’s murder, aren’t you?”

Grief took a deep breath and tapped his cigar, dumping ashes into an ashtray.

“Yes I am... I’ve grown obsessed with finding out who murdered her, and I’ll never know a moment’s rest until I know who did it.”

Treasure focused her attention out of the tinted window, blowing hot air and causing her shoulders to slump.

“The police have already closed the case. You know that after forty-eight hours the window for finding the suspect gets smaller and smaller. Well, it’s been two years now. I know them crackas ain’t thinking about solving your mother’s murder, but I am, and when I find the son of a b***h that did that to her…”

He stared off into space, sloping his eyebrows and scrunching his nose. He clenched his jaws so mothafucking tight that they pulsated. Tears danced at the corners of his eyes, and he squeezed his cigar so tight that the ashes oozed out of it. The ashes trickled down to the floor, landing on the tip of his designer shoe. Seeing her father lost in his rage, worriment went across Treasure’s face, and she gripped his hand, calling his name over and over again.

“Dad… dad… dad!”

“Huh?”

He blinked his eyelids repeatedly and looked around all wide eyed and s**t. It was as if he didn’t know where he was.

“Are you…are you okay?” she asked, concerned, cupping his face and turning him toward her. He nodded yes and looked at his hand. The ruined cigar was still wedged between his fingers. He looked to his foot, and ashes were lying on top of it.

“Yeah… yeah, I’m fine.”

He nodded and let the window down, tossing the ruined cigar out of it. It hit the street while the car was in motion, tumbling and sending embers flying down the road. Once he let the window back up, he turned to his daughter.

“I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t scare you, baby girl. I just became so angry that I lost it there, you know?”

He patted the hand that she had on his knee, lovingly.

“Yeah… I know, dad. I’m sorry if I seemed bothered by you staying up all of the time, studying that footage. It’s just that you hardly ever sleep these days, and you need your rest. You being up for days at a time isn’t good for your heart. I already lost one parent. I’m not trying to lose another.”

Grief looked to his daughter, and tears had accumulated in her eyes. He could tell by the way that she was looking that she was terrified of losing him like she’d lost her mother. He was pretty sure that she’d fall apart if something were to happen to him. Although he wanted to find Rose’s murderer and put a bullet in his head, he didn’t want to f**k around and lose his daughter in the process. Her life mattered more to him than making his wife’s murderer pay for his sins, but letting it go had proven to be harder than he imagined, so until he had caught up with the nigga and laid him out, he was going to keep on hunting him. If he had to, he’d chase his b***h ass to the ends of the earth.

“I know you worry about me, baby girl. But I’ll never get any sleep as long as I know that your mother’s murderer is out there still roaming the streets like s**t is sweet. The son of a b***h is gonna realize he made a grave mistake the night he broke into our home, and your daddy is going to see to it.”

Treasure took a deep breath and laid her head against her father’s shoulder. Staring ahead, she began talking to him.

“If this is what you have to do to find your peace, then keep on keeping on.”

“Thanks, baby girl.”

He patted her hand which was on his arm and kissed the top of her head.

“I assure you… once I find this c**k sucka, it will bring the both of us closure.”

“It most definitely will, dad. It most definitely will.”

Treasure squeezed her father’s hand affectionately and then kissed him on the cheek. She then focused her attention out of the tinted window, thinking back to when she saw Pain at the cemetery. It had been a few months since she’d last seen him, and even with all that had happened, she missed the hell out of him. She hated herself for feeling the way she did, but she couldn’t help herself. Her heart yearned for him. It wanted him bad, but her mind told her it was best that she stayed away from him.

Treasure thought back to the day Pain put hands on a nigga that had disrespected her. She’d never forget that day. She would remember it like she remembered the date of her birth.

It was ninety degrees, and the sun was shining. All that could be heard were the hoots and hollers of men and women along with the roaring of engines from the cars and motorcycles. The block party was as live as a Beyoncé concert. The women were out in skimpy clothing while the fellas were out in their best clothes and jewelry. D-boys and ballers alike were out bragging, boasting, and shooting their mack at everything with big t**s and a fat ass.

There was drinking and smoking, along with a lot of talking and laughter. Tricked out vehicles, four wheelers, and motorcycles made their way down the street like it was a mothafucking parade going on. Niggas and bitches were ghost riding whips and doing dangerous stunts on their bikes, putting on one hell of a show for the onlookers. Everyone was having themselves a good old time, especially Treasure and her home girl, Skylar.

“So… who you got cho eye on, boo?” Treasure asked Skylar as she sucked on a strawberry Tootsie Roll sucker. Her eyes were hidden behind oversized designer shades. She was in a hot pink bikini top and camouflage cargo pants that were cut to look like Daisy Dukes.

“b***h, you betta act like you know. I been scoping out that short buff ass nigga, Tank,” she claimed, staring down the block at a little muscular nigga wearing a motorcycle helmet and black tank top. He wore jean shorts and Air Force Ones that were a little scuffed up due to riding his bike most of that day. Surrounding him were a couple of his home boys who were either polishing their bikes or inspecting them. All of the men were talking among themselves no matter what activity they were engaged in.

“You always did love them lil’ niggas. I ain’t mad at chu though. Gone, girl,” she replied as she cracked a smile at her best friend. Her girl, Skylar, was dressed in a white bikini top and matching capri pants. Her blonde hair was braided into cornrows.

“You sleeping, sis. Them lil’ niggas be having big wallets and big dicks.”

She tilted her sunglasses down and gave her a look that she read ‘you ain’t feeling me though’. Treasure took the sucker out of her mouth and bent at the waist laughing.

“Sky, you know your ass is too much for me.”

“I’m speaking the truth. I’ll swear on a stack of Bibles.”

Skylar held up her right hand to God.

“I believe you. My b***h ain’t never gotta lie.”

“f*****g right.”

They gave one another a high five.

“I’m hungry as a hostage. What about chu?”

“s**t, I could eat.”

“Hold up.”

Skylar cupped her hand around her mouth and yelled across the street to a tall cat in a backwards baseball cap and apron that read ‘Kiss the cook.’

“Yo, Kerwin! Hook me and my girl up with some plates!”

“f**k I look like… Florence out this mothafucka?”

He took the time to wipe his sweaty face and forehead with a rag before flipping over a few hamburger patties.

“You betta get cho itty bitty ass over here and make you a plate,” he said to her as he stuffed the rag into his back pocket. He didn’t even bother to look in her direction.

“As fine as I am? You want me to fix my own plate?”

“You goddamn right.”

He nodded, taking the time out to take a swig from his flask.

“As fine as yo’ ass is, and you ain’t coming off no p***y, ya d**k tease. You betta get over here and help yo’self.”

Skylar blew hot air and rolled her eyes, turning back around to her girl, Treasure.

“I’m finna get us a plate.”

“All right, girl. See if they got any bread pudding left.”

“All right. I’ll be right back.”

She dapped her up and went on about her business. Treasure smirked, seeing her home girl sashay across the street, her hips swinging her cute little bubble butt from side to side. She shook her head and giggled, thinking of how much of a trip she was. Little mama could make her laugh by just being herself. It was one of the few things that she loved about her.

“Yo, Treaaaasurrrreee!”

“f**k! Here this nigga come,” Treasure said under her breath, hating to be called. She didn’t even have to turn around to see who it was. She already knew that it was that fool ass nigga, Chauncey. He’d been on her like stink on s**t ever since she and Skylar pulled up. Although Treasure curved his ass repeatedly, the persistent mothafucka wouldn’t take no for an answer, thinking that she was just playing hard to get.

“Yo, Treas’,” the six-foot-four, milk dud head dude called after her, bobbing his way in her direction. He wore a white washcloth on top of his dome and a wife beater which was stained with sweat around the collar and armpit. His entire form was shiny from sweat. His black ass looked like he was about to melt under that hot ass sun.

Treasure rolled her eyes and shook her head. She was tired of being nice to this mothafucka, trying to keep s**t calm and peaceful, because she didn’t want to f**k up the function for everyone else.

“I’m tired of this thirsty ass nigga. Nigga can’t take no for an answer or somethin’… damn.”

Before Treasure knew it, Chauncey was grabbing her by her arm, roughly.